1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a braking device for a binding for a gliding board, such as a ski, for example. The invention can be particularly suitable for a dual-purpose gliding board used particularly for both the practice of alpine skiing and the practice of ski touring. In the first case, the brake must be continually operational so that it can be activated and stop the displacement of the ski as soon as the skier triggers or releases the binding. In the second case, the brake must be able to be disabled so as to remain inactive when the rider/skier lifts the heel of the boot, so as not to slow down his/her displacement.
2. Background Information
Conventionally, a braking device comprises two lateral braking arms, each arm pivoting about an axis transverse to the ski on which it is mounted. Elastic mechanisms tend to maintain the arms in an active braking position, in which the arms are sufficiently inclined in relation to the ski sole, so that a portion projects downward from the ski sole to engage the snow. To deactivate the brake, it suffices to pivot the braking arms so as to raise the portion adapted to engage the snow above the ski sole. The arms are then in a gliding position.
During use in alpine skiing, the arms are maintained in the gliding position by the heel of the boot, when the boot is engaged with the binding.
During use in ski touring, the boot pivots about a transverse axis positioned at the front of the boot. Consequently, the brake is released as soon as the skier raises the heel. To avoid braking the ski with each step, a device should be provided for locking the brake in an inactive configuration, in which the arms are maintained in a gliding position.
To this end, a number of documents describe braking devices equipped with a lock for maintaining the arms in a gliding position. Such constructions are disclosed, for example, in the patent documents EP 2 259 850, EP 2 666 525, WO 2012/024809, US 2011/0203138, and US 2013/0181427.
All of these constructions include an element blocking the rotation of the arms to maintain them in a gliding position. In these solutions, an elastic mechanism exerts a force on the arms so as to pivot them in only one direction of rotation. This means that the locked configuration of the brake is an unstable position which is maintained only by the lock. Thus, the lock is continuously biased when blocking the arms. The lock must be dimensioned accordingly.